Snakebite!
by nicksfriend
Summary: A small story with just a few chapters, Nick angst and comfort!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers:

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

**Crime Lab**

"Hey Nick, come with me we have a possible double homicide ." Grissom stuck his head into the lunge and yelled into the breakroom, the others just stared in silence waiting for something to do , hopefully a case that would require air conditioning, the heat index outside over a hundred and ten.

"Can I come?" Sara asked wanting to be involved in an investigation, jsut wanting to get out of the lab.

"No. I need you and Warrick available in case we get a call. Catherine, if you want, you can join us." Grissom attempting to give his assistant supervisor the opportunity to say her usual, ' No, I'll just wait for the next one.'

"I think I will Gil." She stood , surprising both Grissom and Nick. She grabbed her kit and a magazine lying on the table and followed them out to the Tahoe, Grissom getting behind the wheel of the vehicle, Nick jumped into the back, and Catherine in the passenger seat.

The ride out to the dessert was rather quiet,Nick was preoccupied by the new video equipment that had been recently purchased, Catherine was reading the journal she had brought with her and Grissom listened to his latest classical music CD..

When they finally arrived, Brass had already arrived, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, his gray suit stained with perspiration. "Welcome to the hottest place on Earth, it has to be a hundred and ten out here." He wiped away another collection of dripping sweat from his face and approached the vehicle carrying the CSI's.

Grissom and Nick stepped outside of the Tahoe, the blasting heat hitting them in the face, the humidity so thick that breathing was a chore. "Grissom, I got the car in the gorge." Nick volunteered seeing the car off the road in a large ditch.

Grissom nodded, motioning for Catherine to follow him and Brass to the vehicle still on the road. Catherine opened the door, already regretting that she had volunteered, this was more for the boys,hot and humid, the curl in her hair quickly leaving as the heat hit her hard. trickles of sweat already forming and rolling down her back . She reached back and pulled her hair into a ponytail and picked up her kit and followed t he two men,wishing silently that she had stayed behind,thinking to herself that she really wished Sara had came instead.

"What do we have Jim?" Asking as he looked inside the banged up car, the deceased body of Margaret Coleman lying on her steering wheel.

"Two dead bodies, One in this vehicle, a Margaret Coleman and the other Angela Starnes in Nick's. Both with gunshot wounds to the head." Brass explained the crime scene as he looked around and watched Nick make his way down the gorge to the other car," We haven't found any weapons yet but we didn't want to disturb the scene, no footprints or any signs of conflict."

Grissom and Catherine examined the car and started taking prints off the doors, windows and carefully opened the door to look inside, a gun lay underneath the victim's leg." "I've got a weapon! "Catherine yelled as she spotted the small caliber gun."I'll bag it."

Grissom looked up somewhat concerned that he hadn't heard from Nick since he went to the other car. "I'm going to go and check on Nick. He's being awfully quiet." Grissom remarked as he started walking over to the other car, leaving Brass and Catherine with the first victim.

"Hey Nick, You okay?" A feeling of uneasiness creeping into his mind.

He looked down, seeing if he could see Nick, who hadn't answered."Hey Nick, are you okay?" he yelled again, frustrated that Nick was not giving him an answer, Brass now deciding to join Grissom, also concerned that Nick wasn't answering Grissom's calls.

Grissom was starting to make his way down when he saw Nick look up, a frightened look plastered on his face,"Stop!" He yelled but regretted the movement he had just made to protect his boss, the rattler which had been poised to strike took that moment to take a bite of Nick's right leg,"Oh God!", he yelled, the pain and the fear, hitting him at the same time. He had learned in Texas on the farm that getting bitten by a rattler was not good thing, he had seen the damage done to their victims.

Grissom went into rescue mode as he watched Nick get bitten, not just once but twice."Nick,!"

He picked up a stick. pushed underneath the rattler as it tried to get back into it's striking position again and removed the venomous snake from the area , then quickly reacted to Nick's bites."Nick, I need you to sit down and stay calm." He instructed his CSI, who seemed focused on the discarded snake, fearing it would return to finish him off.

Brass pulled out his radio, "I need air medic, we have a snake bite victim at Berkman's Hollow, about thirty miles out of Vegas." He was unable to take his eyes off Nick who seemed to be having difficulty keeping it together, tears rolling down his face, a look of terror in his eyes.

Catherine now at the top of the gorge looking downward, taking in the site of her fellow CSI having a medical emergency."Catherine, I need a pair of scissors and the first aide kit from my car!" Grissom yelled.

"Nick, I need to cut your jeans and take a look,." A very pale Nick looked up and nodded as he sat down and held out his leg for Grissom to assess, "How are you feeling?" He asked concerned about the paleness of his skin and the diaphoresis already present, the desert heat could be the cause of both but he was concerned that the poison was in a major vein or artery, the proximity of the bite near the femoral artery and vein.

"I hate snakes. "Nick's voice was almost a whisper, the pain in his leg requiring his attention."It hurts, that's not a good sign Griss."

"Keep you leg low and still Nick," He instructed as he awaited the scissors from the first aide kit. He was keeping a close eye on Niock who already seemed to be having difficulty, thinking more that the strikes had hit major blood vessels.

"How big was the snake Griss?" Nick finally snapping out of his dazed state, knowing he had to be able to think to survive.

"It would be considered rather small for a rattler in comparison to an Eastern Diamondback Nick but it was probably a Western Diamondback and fairly large. Why?" Grissom looked up with a sense of curiosity as to why Nick was asking how big the snake was, maybe he knew something he didn't.

"The bigger the snake the worse the venom. Snakes found in the desert aren't as poisonous as those found in other places but the size matters." He explained to his boss who was now cutting his jeans open,Impressed with Nick's knowledge.Catherine now at Nick's side holding onto his shoulder, a feeling of dizziness washing over him, his heartrate fast and tready, and a sudden feeling of nausea developing.

"And where did you read this?" Grissom asked as he continued to cut the heavy fabric of his jeans, wanting to keep Nick focused and calm.

"Discovery Channel." He joked as he instructed his boss what procedure to follow regarding the bites. Actually, I've had first aide training with snake bites, living on a farm, it was a necessity."

"I'm probably going to get pretty sick, keeping my blood pressure up is essential, but don't raise the bites on my leg above the level of my heart, it could kill me." Nick was feeling his lips and tongue getting numb, he was becoming more lightheaded. The venom was definitely in his bloodstream, he needed medical treatment."I think it hit a vein, the symptoms are really hitting hard and fast." His eyes starting to roll.

"Nick, you need to stay with us okay. What else?" His experience with snakes was very limited, but he knew that Nick would know what to do, he just needed to stay alert enough to be able to tell them.

"No ice, no tourniquet, and don't make any incisions into the bites, it can cause more damage than good." His eyes were getting heavy ,the poison had reacted quickly."Place a bandage above the bites, it will slow the venom down, you need to be able to place a finger between it and my skin."

"Nick, hang on. You're doing great." Catherine comforted him as he laid his head back into her arms, his ability to stay awake getting more difficult.

Grissom was assessing the bites and doing what Nick was instructing him to do, both wounds had quickly become red and swollen. "Nick, the bites are red and swollen, the first bite already seems to be turning purple, like a bruise."

"That's not good, that is actually necrosis, the tissue is being effected." he licked his dry numb lips with his tongue that was feeling very numb . "Get my boot and sock off, cut my pants up to my groin." Nick watched as his boss did what he was instructing,knowing that he was not going to be able to assist much longer. The effects of the venom already in full force.

Brass was on the radio but was focused on what was happening with Nick, guilt plaguing him. He watched as Nick's breathing was getting labored, the combination of heat and the venom starting to effect his current condition."How long on that med flight?" He questioned, looking down and seeing seeing that Nick was no longer conscious.

Grissom looked up at Catherine,concern and panic both etched on his face.

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	2. Chapter 2

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

**This will be a short and sweet Nick angst story, few chapters but lots of Nick hurt and comfort.**

**I just hate when I post something and I have to go back and correct my silly mistakes...I just want to smack myself!**

Grissom looked up to see Brass who was now cursing into his radio, a feeling of panic creeping into his mind as he glanced down at Nick, his pale,sweaty features telling him that Nick needed medical attention and that he needed it now.

"What the hell do you mean it will be another thirty minutes? My guy won't make it that long!"Brass was screaming into the radio, hearing only that the copter was busy with another call and it would be a while before they could respond.

"Jim, we can't wait, we could have him back to Vegas before the copter gets here." Catherine explained as she tried to wipe away the sweat from Nick's face, it was profuse and he was getting dehydrated quickly, increasing the potency of the venom in his system. If they didn't act immediately Nick could die.

Grissom was studying the situation,"How much do you think he weighs?" He finally asked.

"Probably around a hundred eighty." Catherine guessed, knowing that Nick had recently lost weight due to the flu bug he had when Gregg came to work and passed it around to everybody.

"We need to get him and us out of this gorge, it's a snake pit." Looking around and seeing multiple snake nests, Grissom knew things could get a lot worse.

She nodded and licked her dry lips, "We can do it."

Brass already at their sides ready to assist,"Let's do it." Hoping that their efforts would help get Nick out of this snake infested hell.

"We need to stabilize the leg with the bites, if it moves the venom moves." Grissom instructed as he placed his arms underneath Nick's and grabbed his wrists.

Brass grabbed underneath Nick's waist and Catherine grabbed the legs, her focus on the right leg more,keeping it still, making sure it didn't move.

Grissom looked at his coworkers, it had to be done,"On the count of three, okay? One, two and three!" they all lifted at the same time, seeing how precarious the gorge was going to be going back up. "We need to keep his head up and the legs lower than hte level of his heart according to what Nick instructed before he passed out.

"This isn't going to be easy." Brass added, seeing the loose rocks and steep incline.

"We don't have a choice." Catherine added. "We need to get Nick out of here, he isn't looking good." His skin taking on a sickly pallor and the area of his right leg becoming more purple in color, like a deepening bruise.

As they started up, Grissom now facing backwards, getting good footholds in the loose soil, keeping a firm grip on Nick's wrists, hoping he didn't break a bone due to how tight he was having to hold on to the man as he pushed himself up the steep grade. Every once in a while someone feeling their hold loosen and having to stop to regain their grips, the moisture on their bodies,especially their hands causing a problem with holding on to his sweaty, feverish body.

Finally they made it to the top of the hill. Quickly they opened the door to the Tahoe, and placed Nick inside. Grissom crawled into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition, flipping the nob of the air conditioning to full blast, the heat took a few minutes to escape the vehicle but Catherine had already climbed inside and placed Nick's head into her shoulder, keeping his waist and chest elevated as Grissom had instructed her to do earlier.

Brass was on the phone again, the med flight helicopter still on another call. "They're instructing us to take him back to Vegas, to Desert Palm, they have specialist that have already been notified of Nick's situation." Brass informed the two CSI'S, frustrated that Nick was unable to get the medical assistance he so desperately needed right now.

"What are we talking about ? A forty minute drive, Nick doesn't have forty minutes Gil, I'm pretty sure his blood pressure is low, just the pale color of his skin, his diaphoresis and his fast heartrate are signs of shock." Catherine expressed her concerns out loud hoping that there was another option, hoping that Nick wouldn't die.

"There's a small medical clinic up the road, I think, or there use to be at least, for the locals. I wonder if they're still open? They might be able to assist until we can get a copter to transport Nick back to Vegas." Grissom was thinking out loud, knowing that it could be closed and that losing valuable time looking for it could put Nick at a greater risk.

Brass got on it, pulling out his radio and making a call. When he had finished he pointed towards the road ahead and gave them directions, "I'll be there as soon as I get an officer to take over and another team to deal with these two deaths."

Grissom nodded and took off, leaving a plume of dust and dry dirt in the air, leaving Brass behind, worried about his friend, someone he had considered Nick more like a son than a friend.

Grissom was looking for the sign to the clinic, Catherine was also looking when she heard a small, weak voice from below her."Am I dead yet?"

She smiled down and shook her head, "Listen Nick Stokes, I don't want to hear those words again, you're going to be fine." giving him a sweet smile and a firm squeeze to his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"My leg is killing me,it feels like it's on fire," He suddenly realized that he was in a car. "Where are we going?"

"The med flight helicopter was on another call, we're going to a local clinic, they should be prepared for snake bites, especially given the location of the clinic." She explained feeling that they had somehow let him down with their inability to get him to a hospital.

"Might be better, they know how to deal with snake bites." He grimaced as he tried to move the sore leg, the swelling had increased the size of the leg to almost triple in such a short amount of time, the color telling him necrosis had already started, the pain almost unbearable. He could also feel his body slipping into shock, his pressure must be low, his vision blurring, he knew that he needed fluids and antivenom; he knew his chances were decreasing with the delay, his mind racing to determine if they could do anything else but he was honestly just too sick to assist anymore.

"I found it!" Grissom yelled from the front, an younger man was standing outside with another older gentleman, a gurney in place to get Nick inside.

Grissom quickly pulled the Tahoe into the parking area, the two men wasting no time in getting Nick onto the gurney, already assessing his vitals as they pushed him through the doors of the small clinic.

"He's really hypotensive, 80/40!" Yelled the younger man, who was already starting an intravenous line, the fluids already hung with IV tubing on a pump ready to go, the fluids ready to attach as soon as there was blood return in the angiocath determined from the needle stick; then it was done, Nick was finally receiving a bolus of fluids to increase his blood pressure, the antivenom being held until the pressure could be elevated.

The older man was collecting blood for lab tests from the other arm, seeing that the pressure was low he reached over and grabbed a pre-prepared syringe with adrenaline and jabbed it into Nick's left upper leg.

"Give me another pressure in three minutes John." He instructed as he continued to busy himself placing another intravenous line and removing Nick's clothing, a sheet draped over his warm body.

"Temp is one-hundred and three,sats are 84 percent." Both numbers creating a new flurry of activity. Oxygen was applied, a 100 percent non-rebreather mask over Nick's face and ice packs underneath his armpits, neck and to his forehead.

Catherine and Grissom watched from the corner of the room, the proficient men knew what they were doing.

Suddenly a woman entered, dressed in blue jeans, a flowered top and a lab coat, she quickly collected the lab vials and exited the room. She new her task and went straight to work.

The older man started asking questions to Nick, who seemed to having difficulty answering anything, he was mumbling but his numb lips and tongue was preventing any understanding of the answers to the questions so he turned and looked at the two in the corner. He motioned them nearer and they approached, seeing that Nick was now pinking up, the leg now splinted as if he had broken it,keeping the venom from spreading throughout his blood stream.

"What bit him?" the older man asked, needing the information to be able to treat him appropriately.

"Western Diamondback, approximately forty-minutes ago." Grissom answered.

"Looks as if he got him twice." The older man remarked as he took in the site of four fang marks. A new set of vitals obtained as he administered a dose of prednisone and a dose of benadryl through the IV line.

"We don't have time to test for allergy to the antivenom, it's usually a waste of time testing it anyways. He needs the antivenom now and so as soon as his blood pressure is up I'm going to start giving him his first dose, see how he reacts to the medication."

"Pressure is up now, 110/72." The younger man informed as he continued giving Nick medications and adjusting his IV rate to flow as fast as they could get it into his vein, the second line also hooked to fluids and a bolus of fluids started but with a bag of adrenaline attached to a secondary port with a different pump.

"Start his first vial of Polyvalent, keep an eye on the pressure, tell me if there is any drop, we will increase if no reaction." The older man was watching his patient struggle with the pain, knowing that he couldn't administer anything orally, that his patient would throw it up and intravenous pain meds were out of the question until the blood pressure was stabilized.

A combination of sweat and tears streaming down his face, he was keeping his need to scream intact, wanting to be strong but he was failing, every once in a while letting out a audible moan or a muffled groan.

Catherine grabbed Nick's hand, tears streaming down her face, seeing how much pain he was experiencing, hoping that she could give him some comfort until analgesics could be administered.

Grissom had never seen his young CSI in this much pain before and it tore at him, knowing how much Nick was suffering.

"Please, give me something for pain." he finally begged as the pain in his leg was causing him to almost convulse.

"Listen, we'll give you a subcutaneous dose of morphine, it'll take the edge off the pain but I need to keep your blood pressure up for the antivenom right now, Okay?" The older man explained as his assistant drew up the morphine in a syringe and rubbed an alcohol pad over his right upper arm and injected the med,relief didn't come quickly but after a few minutes it eased and Nick was able to relax some, enough to allow the continued treatment without interruption.

Nick became quiet, attempting to listen to what was occurring around him, tubes and needles were being placed everywhere, the leads of a heart monitor were being placed on his chest and a foley catheter was being inserted,Catherine turning her head to allow his privacy but never letting go of his hand.

Grissom now standing facing his CSI, giving moral support for what was happening to him,knowing that he was in part responsible for what had happened to Nick.

"Pressure is dropping again." The younger man shouted,"84/48."

Again the adrenaline was given but this time intravenously and they cut off the antivenom so they could stabilize the pressure again,it was going to be slow going, the blood loss and dehydration both playing a part in the low pressure and now the antivenom effecting the pressure too.

The woman re-entered the treatment area and gave the doctor a piece of paper,"The coagulation times are way off, we'll need to give him at least another amp of the antivenom when we finish with this one, also we'll need more bloodwork in another two and half hours." He directed the woman and his assistant.

"We really need to get him transported to a hospital." Catherine interjected into the conversation of the medical team.

"Listen, we can't move him until he's stable and right now he isn't stable. We have all the equipment needed to treat him right here." The older man explained as he took another look at the still bleeding leg.

Grissom was feeling as if they should allow his transport to a larger facility but understanding that Nick might not survive the flight."Catherine, let them do their job. Nick's in good hands here." Seeing that the expertise of the team ,who were assisting Nick's condition and that he was basically getting one on one care, something he might not get in a larger facility.

The older man looked down at the lab numbers again and gave out another order, "He needs a unit of blood." He looked down at Nick, "Do you know your blood type son?"

Nick nodded and pointed towards Catherine.

"He's O positive." She had always felt like the mother of the team, knowing all of their blood types in case of an emergency.

"Good, Let's get a unit of O positive up and another waiting just in case," He ordered,still examining the numbers on the paper.

"Also, let's start him on an antibiotic." he turned to talk to the Catherine,"Any allergies?"

"Only to ants, red ants." she remarked,"He had a anaphylactic reaction to multiple ant stings about three years ago."

The doctor nodded and looked down at his flushed patient,"Listen, we're going to give you something else for pain as soon we can."

Nick nodded his head and closed his eyes, attempting to block out the pain in his leg, which was at the point of making him want to scream but he was holding on the best he could.

"Pressure is back up, 112/66." The assistant reached over, cutting the antivenom pump back on.

"What's his temp?" The older man questioned noticing the redness to Nick's face was increasing.

The assistant stuck the thermometer in Nick's mouth and in a few seconds the machine beeped, the number was one hundred four point one."104.1." The assistant looking over to the EKG monitor, noticing the increase in his patient's heartrate, "Heartrate's up to 130."

The doctor didn't seem surprised," The heartrate goes up ten beats for every increase in degree of temperature. He needs some Tylenol,let's give him a Tylenol suppository and a tepid bath." He ordered as his team went into action.

The assistant John nodded and the woman who had run the lab earlier grabbed a wash basin and started filling it with tepid water.Grissom and Catherine now having to step back to allow the team to do their jobs.

A knock on the door went unnoticed due to how focused everybody was on saving their patient. the door opened and a woman from the desk peaked inside,"We have another visitor outside, a Jim Brass." she announced.

"I'll go out and update Jim, I'll be back in a few minutes." Grissom whispered to Catherine, not wanting to disturb the others working on Nick.

She turned to Grissom and pulled him into a hug,"Are we doing the right thing?" she whispered into his ear.

Grissom gave her a comforting squeeze and nodded,"I think they're giving him the best of care." He pulled back and gave her a small smile, wanting her to feel better about the clinic. The group of medical personnel seemed very knowledgeable and confident regarding the treatments they were giving to Nick.

Nick allowed the bath and even the insertion of the Tylenol, his leg beginning to feel as if a knife was stabbing it, he wished he could just get relief, his nausea starting to worsen with the pain and the multiple medications he was receiving.

"I think I'm going to throw up." He announced to nobody in particular, hoping that the oxygen mask wasn't muffling his plea and that his slurred speech was being understood,the numbness of his tongue and lips creating a communication problem.

The older man saw that his patient was having difficulty, reaching over and pulling the oxygen mask off his patient's face and placing a small emesis basin to his mouth, feeling that he might be getting nauseous from the bites and from the meds.

Within seconds he was vomiting and the team was rolling him onto his side, his aching leg taking a beating form the slighest oft movements."Dammit, it hurts!Please help me, please!" Nick yelled out, the team understanding that their patient had experienced enough, his limits of pain and suffering at its maximum.

"Can he please have something for pain and nausea?" Catherine demanded, seeing that Nick was in severe pain and it was ripping her apart seeing his suffering so intense.

The older man nodded,"Let's give him some Phenergan and Demerol, start with the lowest doses and let's see how he does." Nick's pressure already dropping some with the vomiting episode, a vagal nerve response.

The younger assistant, John adjusted the fluids again and drew up the meds from the two vials and injected it into the port opposite of the adrenaline line, not wanting to mix the medications.

Nick was in a great deal of pain though and he started to writhe about on the gurney, attempting to get in a position of relief but finding none. The fever and pain starting to cause him to hallucinate.

"Hold his arms down or we'll lose the IV's." The doctor instructed as his team grabbed soft restraints and placed them on both wrists and his right splinted leg to keep it still.

There were explanations being given to their patient but he was lost in a world of pain and fever, unable to react to their pleas of staying still. The doctor knowing that anymore medication would endanger his blood pressure by dropping it even more than it already was and that could cause him to go into cardiac arrest.

"I need five milligrams of Valium." The older man finally ordered his assistant.

"His pressure is too low." The assistant looked over to the low numbers,"It's 100/52, heartrate is increasing too."

"If we don't do something now we could lose him." He picked up the vial and drew up the med then injected it into the IV port, hoping that his patient would calm down,knowing it was the combination of everything that had created his confusion.

The assistant looked over and shook his head," Pressure is dropping too fast, we need to do something now!" He shouted, wanting to help his crashing patient, seeing that the woman who had brought him in to the clinic was panicking,both waiting for the doctor to make the next move.

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	3. Chapter 3

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

"_His pressure is too low." The assistant looked over to the low numbers,"It's 100/52."_

"_If we don't do something now we could lose him." He picked up the vial and drew up the med and injected it into the IV port, hoping that his patient would calm down,knowing it was the combination of everything that had created his confusion._

_The assistant looked over and shook his head," Pressure is dropping too fast, we need to do something now!" He shouted, wanting to help his crashing patient, seeing that the woman who had brought him in to the clinic was panicking,both waiting for the doctor to make the next move._

The elderly doctor picked up another syringe of pre-prepared adrenaline, flipped off the cap and hit Nick's upper left leg again, within seconds the pressure was coming up, but the doctor didn't want it to rise too quickly or too high. The chances of intracranial bleed a possibility due to the clotting factors being off; his patient could bleed to death.

"We need to stay calm John, we've been through this before." The doctor instructed his staff member,staying calm was important to making the correct decisions for their patient.

John nodded and continued to monitor his patient's vitals, noting that the blood pressure was now 120/78, within normal range, the venom restarted and an antibiotic also hung.

The elderly doctor sat down and started charting,making sure he had covered everything, looking over the lab values again, and monitoring the bleeding in his patient's leg.

He looked up at Catherine, "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name,kinda been busy. My name is Dr Robert Cannon."

"Catherine Willows and your patient is Nick Stokes, we're crime scene investigators for the Las Vegas police department. How's he doing?" She was terrified for her friend, the past thirty minutes had been a test of nerves and her heart,she cared about Nick as much as she would her mom or Lindsey and she didn't want him to die.

"He's hanging on, the next few hours are going to be difficult for your friend. I'll have to say that he got excellent treatment out in the field though, so many don't know what to do and they usually cause more harm than good."

She grinned,thinking about how Nick loved his Animal Planet."Actually he told us what to do before he got too sick to talk."

"Wow, that is awesome. He probably saved himself a lot of pain and possibly even his life." The doctor placed his pen down on his small desk and turned to check on his patient again.

"When do you think we'll be able to move him. I mean, I appreciate all that you've done but we need to get him back to Vegas." Catherine approached the gurney again picking up Nick's hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"He's still very unstable but when air medic arrives we'll reassess his situation then and see how he's doing." Looking up at the numbers on the monitors, he silently wished that he was able to send him sooner, but he was still in danger, the clotting factors and blood pressure definitely a problem for his patient.

Nick looked up at the doctor with drugged glazed eyes, unable to talk, but the grimace on his face still told the doctor he was in a great deal of pain.

"John, let's free up one of those pumps now that his pressure is looking a little bit better and get him some medicine infusing for the pain, a slow drip, let's try Demerol." The doctor now listening to Nick's chest, making sure his heartrate was slowing down and that he was still in sinus rhythm.

"Sounds good, how about a nasogastric tube for his vomiting, it will probably get worse if we start him on pain medicine, that stuff can really tear a stomach up pretty bad." John already busying himself getting the Demerol out of the cabinet.

"Let's try to avoid it if we can, that's a traumatic procedure in itself and he's been through enough for a while but things might change, we'll just have to wait and see."

John nodded and prepared the new intravenous bag and primed it on the infusion pump then hooked it into the line."His bleeding is still not letting up, it seems to be a continuous ooze."

"I just checked his coags and they're still off, we'll see how they are after we can get some of this antivenom into his system." The doctor looked around at Catherine, "We need to do some things that Mr Stokes might want privacy for, if you don't mind waiting in the outer office."

Catherine nodded and opened the door walking out into the outer office. Patient's were sitting awaiting their doctor's visit. Jim and Gil talking over in the corner of the room, a look of concern on both men's faces.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hoping for no more bad news.

The two men gave each other a look and Grissom choose to give the answer,"We have a problem."

"Another one? What?" she asked feeling a new surge of frustration already building up inside.

"The weather." Grissom reached over and opened the outer door, the wind almost blowing him down, a freak summer storm hitting hard and fast outside, the copter unable to make it to the office.

Placing her hands on her face, tears now streaming down, unable to stop them even if she tried,all she could think was that Nick's luck was really stinking right now.

Jim reached over and gave her a sympathetic hug, his own feelings for his friend were getting difficult to keep intact,Grissom looked on with the same concern but his mind was trying to figure out a way to get help for his CSI.

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"He needs a hospital John,that leg is really starting to concern me, the color, swelling and the bleeding needs a surgeon's eye." Dr Cannon was now pacing around, thinking about what else he could do for the injured man.

He picked up his phone, no dial tone,"What the hell?"

John looked up at the normally calm doctor,"What's wrong?"

"The phone's dead, no dial tone." Placing the phone back into the cradle.

John pulled off his gloves and reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew his cellphone, "Here try this." handing the doctor his phone.

Dr Cannon flipped it open and attempted to dial, no dial tone either,"Never experienced this before, even out here in the middle of nowhere." He mumbled to himself.

Just at that moment the woman reentered the room,"We have a really bad weather going on out there, we might need to crank up the generator, it's a pretty nasty storm."

Dr Cannon walked over to the window, opening the blinds when a crack of lightening hit almost simultaneously along with a loud roll of thunder, the lights flickering off for a few seconds."What else could happen? This man better have a close relationship to God because this is not good."

The little woman nodded and started out the door,again the lightening hit close by, followed immediately by a large rumble of thunder that shook the building. "I'll see if someone is brave enough to go outside and brave the weather to get the generator going." She then turned and exited the room.

Dr Cannon shook his head , walking over to his patient,"We need to see if we can get these plugs into the red sockets, just in case we lose power; and the way this building is shaking it might not be that long before we do and that won't be good."

John agreed,things were not going well for their patient, he started getting the plugs to the machines adjusted into the red sockets. Looking up at the monitors he felt a surge of panic,"Hey Bob, his pressure is sky-rocketing." Seeing the numbers on the monitor,180/96.

"Dammit! Okay John, make sure that adrenaline is cut off,also any fluids, cut them off too." He reached down and looked into his patient's eyes making sure they were still reactive."Increase the antivenom and let's get a manual reading in case the readings are false due to the storm."

John grabbed the manual cuff and placed it around Nick's right arm,his stethoscope placed in his ears, he pumped it up, his stethoscope bell placed on the brachial artery, the pressure valve tightened and pumped until the numbers were read; then allowing it to slowly deflate, John quickly took his stethoscope out of his ears,"Not as bad as we thought, 160/90."

"Still too high." Dr Cannon announced as he continued to assess his patient, the lights again flickering off and on, then finally completely off, the room cast into darkness.

"I need a light in here!" He yelled out to nobody in particular knowing that somebody would get them some light. "John, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now!"

"Me too Doc, me too." John answered as he continued to assist their patient.

Dr Cannon stood in place until the little woman opened the door and brought in a flashlight, the generator finally kicking into action, providing a dim light to the room, the pumps and equipment were still working, their batteries assisting in keeping them functional.

"Mr Grissom got the generator going,him and a man named Brass." She commented as the emergency lights went on and the room was lit again.

"That's good, thanks Anna." She nodded and went back out into the outer office.

Catherine, concerned for Nick came back into the room and went over to the gurney, his head still elevated and his eyes still glazed over from the earlier drugs. The soft restraints had been removed and an oxygen saturation monitor had been placed on his ring finger, the one that always proudly displayed his Aggie ring."Nick,we're trying, it's like the world is against us right now." she whispered into his ear.

Nick opened drug hazed eyes and nodded,"Es okay." his speech slurred ,a combination of drugs and venom.

She shook her head,"No," finally feeling as if she should speak her mind," It's not okay Nick." looking up at the medical team of two.

"We need to find a way to get him to a medical center,that generator won't last all night." Catherine spat out, feeling that her frustration had reached a new level. Feeling that if somebody didn't do something soon her friend would die.

Grissom took that moment and walked back into the room, his clothes soaked from the torrential rainstorm and his venture outside to get the generator started."I agree, we're going to have to find a way to get Nick out of here before the roads are washed away."

"Too much of a risk,these roads are nothing but dust and red dirt, they're already gone, don't take much to wash them out." John explained as the doctor continued to work on Nick.

"There's got to be something we can do." Catherine responded to the bad news that John had just given to them.

"Best thing we can do is to wait." Dr Cannon replied.

"Wait? Wait for what? For Nick to die? I can't and I won't do that!" Catherine had lost all her patience and started screaming at the doctor and John.

"Catherine,Nick's awake and can hear you." Grissom's voice was soft and low,wanting his senior CSI to understand that everything she said was being heard by the one person she was trying to help the most.

Sudden realization hit her and she started shaking with soft sobs, Jim, who was standing at the door, led her out of the room, allowing the staff to continue to assist his friend,allowing Catherine a chance to regain her self control

Grissom walked over to where Nick lay on the gurney,"Nick,we're working on getting you out of here. It's just taking longer than we expected, bad storm."

He nodded, the drugs were keeping him calm, almost blissful."Okay/" his words weak and low.

"How's the leg?" Grissom asked as he sat down by the gurney.

"Hurs, a lot." He answered with his slurred voice, attempting to sit up for his boss but too weak now to do the simple task on his own.

Grissom saw that his CSI was struggling and assisted him to sit up a little bit more." Any ideas Nick?" He asked not expecting an answer from his very sick friend.

"Go norf,ten mile,Tanner." He struggled to get the words out and hoped that Grissom understood.

"Tanner? Nick, why Tanner?" Grissom's curiosity now peaked.

"We have a problem Doc, the bleeding ,it's worse," John was looking at the profuse amount of blood now coming from the fang site,Nick's color going pale, his eyes rolling up into his head, monitors and alarms screaming at the men to do something and to do it fast.

"What's wrong?" Grissom feeling himself starting to lose control, wanting his CSI to be alright.

"His bleeding times are off, I was worried about this. The snake bite must've hit an artery, his clotting time is slow and we might have a major bleed on our hands." The doctor now applying pressure to the area above the bite.

"His pressure is dropping again! I think we're going to need the crash cart!" John yelled as he turned back on the fluids, giving another bolus.

Nick's head tilted to the side, the heart monitor's alarm screaming through out the office.

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Okay, I am going to ask for feedback! Please!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

**I love it that you guys like detail and that is wonderful...I have to try harder to make sure it's right. Blood pressures are measured before giving any medication because it will drop it...how many people have I coded in a life time that were given medications when their blood pressures were too low...TOO MANY!So if your blood pressure is normally low...your body is accustomed and will usually tolerate certain drugs or changes but if you are sick...your blood pressure will crash even with the most slightest of changes usually...henceforth,poor Nick!**

**Before you ask...it is found that snake venom contains enzymes that breakdown vitamin K and once injected into the human body, will inhibit the ability of the blood to clot. Vitamin K is given to stop the bleeding. **

"His bleeding times are off, I've been worried about this possible complication. The snake bite must've hit an artery, his clotting time is slow and we might have a major bleed on our hands." The doctor now applying pressure to the area above the bite.

"_His pressure is dropping again! I think we're going to need the crash cart!" John yelled as he turned back on the fluids, giving another bolus._

_Nick's head tilted to the side, the heart monitor's alarm screaming throughout the office._

"John, give him an amp of vitamin K subq now!" The doctor yelled and allowed for John to get it done.

The doctor turned to Grissom, "Listen I need you to ask Anna how many units of plasma we have, I need as many as we got!" Grissom nodded and went to find the lady in the floral top.

"John I need you to draw coags and a CBC, I need to see how big this bleed is and what his bleeding times are,and go ahead and hang the second unit of blood, give it as fast as you can. And John get someone to check on the damned weather, I need some help." Dr Cannon bellowed out the orders, his frustration at the situation showing itself.

John nodded and continued to get the tasks done, he drew the blood and placed it in the vials, quickly taking them to the door and yelling for the desk clerk to take them to the lab. She grabbed them and disappeared, Brass and Catherine seeing that they had an emergency, staying in the waiting area so they wouldn't get in the way.

Nick was diaphoretic and his pressure was now 80/40. the doctor trying to think what else he could do for his dying patient. Nick's leg was still bleeding but the constant pressure and the effects of the Vitamin K were starting to assist in slowing down the continuous flow.

John came in with a a bag of plasma and new tubing, "This is all we have,our supplies are really limited here,this man needs something we can't give him doc." He paused and looked at his boss,"Hope."

"John, don't give up yet. Let's get it going,maybe we can get him out of here soon." The doctor let up on the pressure on the leg and watched to see if the bleeding would continue, a small ooze started but not the steady stream that it had been minutes earlier.

The doctor sat down, his arms within reach of his patient just in case he had to apply pressure again, his patient looking paler than minutes before,his skin glistening with sweat.

The dim lights in the office along with the darkened stormy skies outside gave the eerie feeling of impending doom. The doctor and his staff were exhausted, the patient really no better in some ways than when he first entered the office.

Grissom reentered the room, his thoughts more on what Nick had instructed before his condition worsened,"What's in Tanner?" He asked hoping that the two men had the answers.

John looked up at the older man, a look of confusion crossed his face,"I don't think much, It's a rural town, low population and possibly a grocery store, a bank and a few other government buildings."

The doctor sat quietly by Nick contemplating the question,"Why Tanner?"

"Nick told me to go North ten miles to Tanner, it must've been significant in his mind, maybe something he's seen before." Grissom answered,wondering what Nick's train of thought might have been before he lost consciousness again.

"I think I know." John answered, rather excitedly.

"What John?" The doctor now intrigued as to what his sick patient was directing.

"It never rains in Tanner,it is as dry as any city you'll ever see. A medical helicopter could land there without any difficulty." John felt a certain sense of pride knowing that he might know his patient's train of thought.

Grissom rushed out of the office to where Brass and Catherine were sitting, "I need to get transport for Nick to Tanner, can you arrange it?"

"What are you asking Gil? You want me to pull a rabbit out of my.." He stopped short of saying what he wanted, knowing that ladies were present in the room,"Radio." he pulled out his radio which was crackling with static from the storm,"I'll try." Opening the door and walking outside into the dying storm, already attempting to get someone to answer his call for help.

"Catherine, Nick felt that if we could get him to Tanner that he could get help,or at least that is what I think he was saying." Grissom rubbed at the hairs on his face,squeezing his eyes together to stave off an impending migraine.

Catherine smiled, "That Nicky, he's always thinking."

Brass walked back into the office, "Evidently the weather in Tanner is sunshine and daisies, well maybe cactus." He shrugged and continued," They're going to send an ambulance to pick up Nick and take him back to Tanner, the med vac copter will be there to pick him up to take him back to Vegas."

"That's excellent." Catherine felt a glimmer of hope for Nick, he had been through hell and he still was having to fight for his life in the other room.

"The storm is letting up, but unfortunately the roads have been washed out, it is a world of wet sand and mud outside." Brass commented,"It won't be an easy task."

"We don't have a choice." Grissom remarked as he headed back to be with Nick.

Brass and Catherine sat down in the waiting area, the stress of watching Nick suffer was more than they could handle at the present, they knew Grissom was there for their friend.

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Nick was still getting plasma and blood when the four wheel drive trauma ambulance arrived,the men got out and walked in to find their critically ill patient.

As they walked inside they were greeted by several people but the patient looked critical and they would have to hurry and get to Tanner.

"He looks like Hell." The younger paramedic commented as they brought the gurney inside of the office.

The second paramedic nodded in agreement,"Are you going with us?" He asked the doctor who was still working on his patient.

"Absolutely. John, I need you need to stay here and take care of our other patients until I can get back." The doctor instructed as he watched his patient out of the corner of his eye as he packed the medical bag. He quickly grabbed the second vial of antivenom, looking over the new labs that had been drawn, seeing that the bleeding time was still off but with the plasma and vitamin K Nick had recieved he was fairly sure that it was doing better; the proof being the controlled bleeding in his patient's leg.

John nodded and answered,"Will do doc.", as he hooked up Nick's second unit of blood, another line established to handle the plasma which was almost finished infusing.

The two paramedics and John carefully transferred their sick patient to the new gurney. They were strapping him into place, careful with the still bleeding leg and his multiple lines and tubes, transferring the cardiac leads to the new monitor and his oxygen to a portable unit.

Some of Nick's IV lines had to be placed on manual drips due to the lack of needed pumps for all his IV medications, the antivenom was placed on one pump, the adrenaline on another.

Grissom had been joined by Brass and Catherine, they all knew that they wouldn't be seeing their friend for a while, he would travel to Tanner, the med flight team was already there to meet them, to fly Nick to Desert Palm Hospital.

"We're going to be traveling to Tanner via an old side road, it should only take about ten minutes to get there,even with the weather, the med flight helicopter is at the middle school football field." The first paramedic explained,"They will flight him to desert Palm Hospital,the emergency room has already been notified and are waiting."

"Let's go." The second paramedic directed as he covered his patient with a heavy plastic blanket to prevent him getting wet out in the storm, which had improved but the rain continued to fall.

"Grissom, Catherine and Brass reluctantly left their friend,knowing that there was not enough room on the helicopter for the medical team and them,instead they would meet them at Desert Palm Hospital.

The gurney was loaded and the doors shut with Dr Cannon inside,a feeling of relief washed over his friends, Nick was finally going to to a hospital.

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Awwww Nick is on his way to the hospital...yeah, right!


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

**Well, you knew that I couldn't leave it with a nice sweet ending...I'm too angsty for that!**

**Remember I do not own them, they are not mine but boy am I having fun borrowing them!**

Nick opened his eyes, the rough terrain making the vehicle toss back and forth, the tires attempting to grip dirt and sand,the rough motion awakening their patient from his drugged sleep.

"Hey Mr Stokes, I'm Dr Cannon, we're finally going to get you back to Vegas and to Desert Palm Hospital, an air flight is awaiting you in Tanner." He explained as he checked another pressure.

"Where's?" Nick attempted to ask where his teammates were but he felt too weak,the poison had taken a toll on his body.

Dr Cannon gave his patient a sympathetic smile,"They're going by private vehicle back to Vegas and will meet us at the hospital."he looked at his patient and felt better actually than he had an hour earlier,his patient's vitals were slowly improving and he seemed more alert; his speech somewhat better, the second vial of antivenom now infusing.

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The driver was having difficulty maneuvering the ambulance over the rough road, most of which had been washed away by the storm. He looked through the rain soaked window and attempted to keep the vehicle away from the edge of the softened sand, any slip could send the ambulance over the side into the thick brush below.

He could hear the men in the back caring for the patient, only a few more miles and they would be in Tanner,the dispatcher had informed him that it was clear in Tanner and that the air flight was awaiting their arrival. He hoped that they just would make it because the road was becoming precarious and almost impassable at certain areas. Taking it slow and easy was all that he could manage without putting the patient in more danger.

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Catherine and Grissom rode to the original crime scene where Warrick and Sara now sat in their cars awaiting for the storm to pass, a lot of evidence now washed away.

They stopped and Grissom opened his car door,"I'm going to update Warrick and Sara on Nick, I'll be back in a minute."

Catherine nodded, allowing her supervisor to run out into the storm, staying dry in the denali was fine with her and she hoped that Nick was already on his way to Desert Palm Hospital.

Grissom jumped into the back of the SUV and shook off his wet hair,"Nick is on his way to Desert Palm."

"How is he?" Sara asked, she was concerned about her friend and had been worried since Brass had called.

"He's pretty sick actually, his leg is going to take some to heal. Nick's tough though." Grissom opened the door to get back out."Listen, Catherine and I are going on to the hospital,whenever the coroner gets here head back to the hospital."

Warrick nodded and watched as Grissom ran back to his vehicle." Nick really needs an inside job, he and the elements just don't mix." He gave Sara a smile smile and started the engine as David rolled up in his coroner's van.

Sara nodded and had a sad look cross her face,the thought of Nick being attacked by a snake and bitten twice was almost unbelievable, she always wondered why such a nice guy was always getting beat up.

Warrick drove up to speak to the coroner's tech," David. We need to get back to Vegas."

"I heard about Nick,tell him I hope he feels better." David walked over to the first vehicle, the second was being towed to the top of the gorge, the risk of being bitten by a snake too great of a danger for the CSI's and the tech.

"I will, we're out of here." Warrick started to pull onto the main road when he heard some buzz on the radio, it sounded like a faint call for help.

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The ambulance was making slow progress, the rain washed road almost too much for the four wheeled vehicle. The road was almost completely gone and underneath was mostly sand and loose rock, the tires on the right lost traction, the driver was attempting to get the vehicle back on some solid ground but to no avail, the vehicle tumbled to the right hard and fell to its side setting into motion a tumbling down the side of the embankment.

The driver was stunned by the sudden movement and yelled to the back to fasten themselves in but it was too late for them to react, Nick was strapped securely but Dr Cannon and the second paramedic were tossed around in the cab,until finally the vehicle came to a complete and sudden halt of movement,thick brush covered the vehicle, they had fallen a good two-hundred feet,inside the cab was completely silent.

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Catherine and Grissom arrived at the hospital expecting to find Nick in the emergency room but they were quickly informed that the air flight had still not received their patient for transport, contact with the ambulance had been lost approximately twenty minutes earlier.

"I'm going back, they might have had an accident." Grissom announced as he made his way back to the entrance, Catherine following,"I need you to stay here in case they were just delayed."

Catherine was worried, they had radios, they would have contacted the air flight to tell them if they were just delayed. "Listen, if Sara and Warrick are near-by maybe they can follow the road to see if they can assist?"

"Good idea." Grissom pulled out his radio and hit the quick dial for Warrick but the storm was blocking the call."I'll keep trying Gil, just go and see if you can find Nick."

Grissom nodded and walked out the door.

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Sorry so long for the update, gens thanks for caring...I'm back!


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

Nick was awakened by the sudden movement of the ambulance and now he was hanging to the side, his IV's torn from the veins,blood was everywhere. Even in his drugged state he knew that they were in trouble.

Nick looked around noting the backdoor of the ambulance was open and the two men who had been caring for him were missing.

The driver was quiet, he continued to be strapped in his seatbelt and leaning in the same direction as he was, no movement was noted.

"Hey." Nick's weak voice managed after several attempts but no answer came from the man in front.

Nick reached over with shaky fingers and undid the belts that had him fastened in tightly and clicked them open; his body falling slightly as he released his security belts.

He reached his hand over the seat to reach the driver and to see if he had a pulse, his fingers found a strong pulse but the driver was out cold.

Most of the medical equipment had been pulled loose when the ambulance had rolled down the embankment except for the foley catheter which he silently was grateful because ht inflated balloon in his bladder would have caused severe trauma.

He rambled through the drug box until he found an empty syringe and he placed it in the catheter end and withdrew the saline that held the tube in place and then he pulled it out.

He then looked in the cabinet above him and found a one piece jump suit and carefully pulled it over his splinted leg and then over the rest of his bruised body, noting that the sites where the IV's had been earlier had clotted off, the antivenom had done it's work.

Although his leg was killing him the adrenaline had taken over and he knew that he had to help save the men who were trying to save him. He looked down at his bare feet and thought for a minute, looking out into the thick brush he knew his feet would get torn up as he looked for the missing men.

After a few seconds he finally decided to use gauze to cover his feet,pulling out a couple big wraps he rolled them around his feet and ankles.

Reaching over the driver he pulled the radio towards him and attempted to call out but the tumble down the embankment had probably created a problem because he was getting heavy static.

"Help, we need help." He called out feeling as if he was not going to be heard.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice come over the radio, a voice he did not expect.

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Warrick picked up his radio and listened intently, the voice sounded like Nick's.

"That's Nick." Sara was stunned to hear his voice and it sounded weak and pained.

"Nick is that you?" Warrick responded to the call for help.

"Warrick?" Nick returned, also surprised at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Where are you man? Are you okay?" Warrick felt a wave of panic wash over him, Nick had never made it to the copter.

"Our ambulance must've went over the side of an embankment, the doctor and paramedic are missing, I assume they are hurt or I would've heard from them,we need help man." Nick was short of breath from all his activity, the bites in his leg giving him increasing pain, the throbbing synchronizing with his fast heartrate.

"I'm getting help man, just stay still, I'm going to find you." Warrick was now in full adrenaline mode, he could feel his own panic starting to rise but knew that he had to keep in control, he had to save his friend.

Sara took the radio as Warrick steered the vehicle towards Tanner and started attempting to get his vehicle over the rough terrain, the storm had done a number on the road, leaving it barely drivable.

"Nick, we're on our way, I am going to call for back-up, hold on." She took her cell and dialed the emergency number giving the situation to the operator and the approximate location.

Nick looked around to see if he could find something to signal with, the pain medications were clearing his system, though the pain in his leg was tremendous he knew that others lives depended on his getting help to them as fast as possible.

He pulled at broken boxes and finally found a flashlight, it was a low beam but it might help, especially since it was cloudy outside and it would draw attention. He then grabbed some IV tubing and some oxygen tubing and stuffed it in his large pockets in his jumpsuit.

The splinted leg limited his motions, he still needed to keep his leg in a low position.

"Nick, you there?" Sara's voice came back over the radio.

"Yeah, for a man with a necrotic leg and a few new cuts and bruises I feel as if I might be the lucky one. I still haven't located Dr Cannon or the second paramedic and the first paramedic needs a hospital asap." Nick panted out, movement in the beat up cab was difficult at best.

"Help is on the way Nicky." Warrick spoke into the radio hoping that it would give his friend some kind of comfort.

"I don't think they will be able to see us, we're covered with thick trees and brush, probably a few snake nests too." He felt a little hesitant to look outside but knew that he had to take a look in case the other two men were in need of immediate assistance.

"Nicky stay inside the vehicle, do not get out!" Sara warned him hoping that her stubborn friend would not attempt to be a hero.

"Sara I'm going to have to look and see if the other two men are out there, they could need some attention and I need to at least look, I'll be back in a minute."

The vehicle now lying on it's side, the engine had been turned off either by the driver or by the fall,he crawled towards the open door and looked out, taking his hand and moving aside the thick brush that was blocking his view.

"Damn we fell at least two hundred feet, maybe more." He spoke out loud, the ambulance had fallen against a large tree,no signs of the two men though.

He carefully managed to get out of the back, constantly looking for anything that could show him where the two men had landed but the fall covered a lot of ground and they could be anywhere.

He slid his gauze covered feet across the thick brush, being cautious,looking for the men."Hey, Dr Cannon!" He called as he basically crawled with one foot and pulled himself along with his hands, grabbing hold of branches and bushes he made it several feet and heard a low moan.

"Hey, can you hear me?" He yelled as he continued to look for the men, the rain still falling but not as hard as it had been earlier. The ground was wet and slippery and his hold on the brush was slipping. He took his splinted leg and dug it into the ground to steady himself, hoping that it would be enough to assess the man who had made the moan.

Looking around and moving what he could manage with one hand as he held on with the other he saw a man lying face down in the mud. He continued to maneuver his body towards the man using his splinted leg and his grip on the brush to get to where the man was lying still. His hand went down to find his carotid and felt a weak pulse.

"Sir,can you hear me?" Nick hoped the man was able to move, the rain still beating down on them both.

The man's eyes opened and looked up at Nick, "My neck hurts."

"Don't move, help is on the way." Nick advised reaching over to get some loose brush to build a make shift tent over the man's face to keep him dry as best he could.

The man's uniform quickly identified the man as a paramedic so he knew the doctor had to be around somewhere so he continued his climb up the steep bank and continued to hold on to the wet bushes and branches, until he spotted the second man.

"Sir, can you hear me?" Nick asked again hoping for an answer, the man lifted his head and nodded.

"What the hell? You are too sick to be out here in this weather looking for us, you're going to get that leg infected crawling around in this mud!" The doctor more concerned about his patient than himself.

"Yeah, but I didn't have a choose evidently after the ambulance went off the road." Nick was securing himself enough to get a hand on the man.

"How are the paramedics?" Dreading the answer to the question,knowing that if Nick was out here then they had to be on bad shape.

"About fifty feet below you is the paramedic who was in the back, he has a possible neck injury and the other paramedic is still unconscious in the cab." A wave of pain hit him, the adrenalin rush about spent but he knew he had to make it to the top of the road so that the men would be rescued,they were in no shape to move.

He looked over the doctor and asked,"Are you hurt?"

The doctor nodded,"I think I broke my leg and possibly even my arm." The doctor was feeling helpless to assist anybody, even himself.

Nick looked up and could see the road, "Listen, my friends are on their way and so is help but they will never find us if I don't get up there and flag them down."

"I'm not kidding about that leg. I'm amazed you are even alert enough to talk, all I can guess is that your body is running on adrenaline son and when you crash it is going to be hard." The doctor's worried look even made Nick concerned.

"Hopefully that will be after we're rescued." Nick pulled out the flashlight and handed it to the older man,"Listen, in case something happens to me use this to signal for help. They know approximately where we are so that might come in handy."

The doctor looked at his patient with amazement,"No wonder your friends are so protective of you. You are quiet the hero."

"Listen, I'm not a hero, I'm just like you, I want to get the hell out of this snake infested place." Nick looked up again, it was going to be another hundred yards before he would make it to the top of the road and he could feel the adrenaline rush begin to sputter, the pain in his leg reaching new levels of agony.

"I need to start moving, talk to me as I climb so I can keep a general direction." Nick started to move again but it was harder getting his necrotic leg to slide up the slippery wet grass and weeds. Branches and fallen limbs poking him through the jumpsuit and the gauze on his feet was soaked making them more difficult to lift.

He could hear the sounds of traffic above him, low beam lights were coming into view as he slowly made his way upwards."Doc you still okay?" Nick asked, feeling the quiet around him was getting worrisome.

"I'm good, I just need a pain pill or two." The doctor answered, the pain in his leg and arm feeling worse by the minute. "You there yet?"

"Almost, I'm having a little difficulty moving my leg though, it feels numb." Nick yelled back to the doctor.

"The poison can do that, you need to stop and wait for the rescue team." The doctor worried that the venom was causing new problems.

Nick could feel his fever rising again and chills were making his body visibly shake but he knew if he did not make it up the steep incline that not only would he die but so would the others and that was not going to happen,they wouldn't be in this shape if it hadn't been for him getting himself bitten."Listen, I'm only a few feet away from the road,I can make it, I think." the latter part an almost whisper.

He looked up and could see the faint lights of emergency vehicles, his adrenaline kicked in again, he needed to make it just a few more feet. His hand gripped onto the brush and he inched his way upwards the stubborn leg being pulled behind him, the pain increasing with each movement but he knew he had to do what he had to do and that was to make it to the lights.

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Sara held on to the radio but Nick never returned, tears were falling silently down her face at the thought that something had happened to Nick.

"If he did something stupid I'm going to wring him good." Warrick spoke out loud feeling the same as Sara about the silence on the radio.

Sara stared out the window and shook her head,"I wonder how far they got before the vehicle took the tumble because it all is so thick down there."

"Yeah, there probably won't be any skid marks, the road is basically gone." Warrick was having difficulty himself getting his SUV around the large gaps in the road.

Suddenly a voice came over the radio,"We need help." The paramedic 's voice was weak and he was definitely hurt.

"Who is this?" Sara asked concerned that something had happened to Nick.

"This is Gregg Dunn,I'm a paramedic with Tanner. Our vehicle went off the road approximately three miles from Tanner." The paramedic still drowsy with his concussion.

"Where's Nick?" Sara felt herself panicking about her friend.

"You mean the patient? I don't see him, he's gone." The weak voice responded.

"Damn that Nick, that Texan cowboy! I am going to whip his ass when I get a hold of him." His frustration at not being able to help his friend was getting to him as well as his concern for his friend's injuries.

"Listen, help is on the way. Just hold on." Sara responded wanting to keep the paramedic calm.

"Ask him to blow his horn if possible, it might help in locating him faster." Warrick instructed and rolling down his window, the rain blowing into the vehicle,hitting him in the face.

"Blow your horn, it will help to locate you." Sara gave the injured paramedic the instructions.

The paramedic reached down and turned on the siren but it was not making a sound, he then hit the horn continuously, hoping that through the rain and wind it could be heard.

Csicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsicsi

Grissom's radio was picking up the flurry of activity about Nick's ambulance, all he could think was that his young CSI could never catch a break, he picked up his cell and dialed Catherine, it was going to be a long night.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Snakebite!

Author: Nicksfriend

Rating:k+

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: Bottom line...they belong to CBS and to those who make millions!

Nick looked up and could see people walking around, securing lines to start their search. He needed to get their attention."Hey, Help!" He called out attempting to get their attention, competing with the rain overhead.

"Did I hear something?" Warrick asked as he stepped out of his vehicle, Sara following him to the edge of the embankment.

"Did you hear Nick?" Sara asked excitedly.

"I don't know, I thought I heard a voice, but maybe I was just imagining it." Warrick was fearing the worst for his friend, he wanted to get Nick to t he hospital.

"Hey! I'm here!" Nick barely could get out the words, he was exhausted, his body finally ready to fall into unconsciousness.

"That's Nick!" Warrick yelled and pointed to the area below them,"Nick, we got you man!" Warrick grabbed a hold on one of the safety lines, the firefighter grabbing another.

Warrick could spot what appeared to be a body below and headed for it,"Nick!"

Dr Cannon could see Warrick but where had Nick gone?"Hey! We're here!" Dr Cannon shouted out the firefighter getting to the man first and already assessing his injuries, "There is another man below me with a neck injury and the other man is in the ambulance. Did Nick reach the top?"

The firefighter looked at him with a questioning look,"Somebody is above us?" Warrick now within ears reach.

"Where the hell is Nick?" Warrick asked frustrated at the luck of his friend.

Sara was still at the top looking down when she saw movement to her right in the thick brush,"Nick? Is that you Nick?"

Nick was barely able to move, his leg was in spasms and he was holding on with all the strength that he could muster, yelling would require more energy and that was just not possible.

"Rick, there is something moving over here." Sara was pointing just below where she was standing.

Warrick glanced over at the direction she was pointing and could see what looked like a body."Nicky, I'm here man, I'm here!" he moved his feet along the wet ground another paramedic was making his way towards the same area.

Nick was about to let go his strength expired, all he knew was that there was help, they had gotten help. His eyes closed and he could feel his body slipping when a strong arm caught him.

"It's okay man, we're here." Warrick was standing over him holding onto him with a death-like grip.

"What took you so long?" He whispered.

"Hey, just remind me to kick your ass when you feel better." Warrick gave his friend a small grin as the paramedic grabbed him around the waist and they both lifted him to the top.

Nick had lost consciousness almost immediately, his body showing the effects of the snake poisoning and exhaustion.

Warrick looked up to Sara who was awaiting the medical rescue team."Is he okay?"

"He needs a hospital." The paramedic answered as the team grabbed him and pulled the rest the way up and immediately placed him on a gurney to transport, the other men were being treated on the scene but they all knew Nick needed immediate attention.

The ambulance now loaded with Nick and Sara took off towards Tanner, Warrick staying behind to assist with the rescue of the other three men.

As they arrived at the football field the paramedics on the med flight copter were awaiting their patient."What do we have?" the med flight attendant asked as he took the stretcher and placed it into the copter, Nick now back to a sheet covering him and tubes covering most of his body parts, the IV fluids restarted.

"Snake bites times two, rattler. He also was in the ambulance turn over, he suffered a few bruises and a few cuts. He probably needs an cat scan of his head too, he has a fairly good bump to the side of his head." Sara was glued to his side and boarded the med flight copter with her friend, he was not leaving their site again.

**Desert Palm Hospital**

The first thing he heard was the sound of monitors beeping and an overhead announcement that somebody's car was parked in the wrong place.

Opening his eyes was a little bit harder than he thought, he felt that he had been sleeping for a long time but then he felt the pain in his leg and knew it couldn't have been too long.

As he pried open his eyes he looked over at at his friends who were sitting around the room, their eyes closed, resting in the uncomfortable chairs."What are you guys doing sleeping on the job?"

Suddenly they were opening their eyes and standing , surprised looks in their eyes.

"Hey. Am I still alive?"Nick asked with a raspy voice.

"The doctor wasn't so sure when they brought you in a few days ago." Grissom responded.

Catherine and Sara were sitting beside his bed, Sara's hand still entwined in his,"Hey. I'm glad you're awake." her voice low and tired.

"My leg?" he asked feeling the fire inside the wound.

"It's going to take some time to heal. The necrosis had already began but the doctors have given you antibiotics and the antivenom was given in a timely manner, that's why your leg is not any worse but the doctor is worried about you getting serum sickness from the antivenom." Grissom explained.

Nick nodded, understanding that he wasn't out of the woods yet."When can I go home?"

"I don't know why you are in such a hurry to leave because I owe you one good ass whipping man. What were you thinking climbing up that slope with that leg?" Warrick chided his friend.

"I was thinking that if I didn't do it we could all die down there." feeling irritated with Warrick but knowing that the drugs were making him feel jittery.

"Just kidding man, you are the hero." Warrick patted him on his shoulder.

"Sorry Rick, I just feel tired, probably the combination of drugs and pain." Nick mumbled, attempting to get comfortable in the uncomfortable bed.

"Don't apologize Nicky, you've been through hell and back." Warrick sat down beside his friend, letting him know he wasn't going anywhere.

"How are the paramedics and Dr Cannon?" Nick was feeling a certain amount of guilt for their injuries.

"Actually they are doing great, Dr Cannon has already returned home and the other two men were treated and released hte next day. They actually faired better than you Nick." Sara smiled down at her friend , giving his hand a small squeeze.

Nick nodded, his eyes getting heavy again."Did I ever tell you guys I hate snakes?"

"No, but I think we figured it out Nicky." Catherine replied pushing the call light for the nurse to give Nick something for pain. Everybody in the room feeling a wave of relief that Nick was safe.

The end (maybe)

Hope you liked ...now off to finish In God's Hands! Feed me back if you enjoyed!


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